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Worldwide travel insurance

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  • Get a quote for travel to Europe, Asia, Africa and beyond with worldwide cover

  • Option to add extra cover for cruise, business travel, winter sports and gadget cover

  • Get worldwide cover for destinations including the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico

What is worldwide travel insurance?

Worldwide travel insurance provides you with cover for trips you've got planned all over the world. By selecting worldwide when getting a quote, you're covering yourself against any unwanted medical bills and cancellation costs from travel and accommodation.

Depending on your policy, this could include:

When getting a quote for worldwide travel insurance, you'll usually get 2 choices:

  • Worldwide excluding Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, USA – unless you’ll be travelling to any of these four areas, you should select this option as it tends to be the cheapest worldwide travel insurance available.
  • Worldwide including Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, USA – worldwide travel insurance including these areas tends to be pricier.

What countries does worldwide travel insurance cover?

Worldwide travel insurance can cover you for travel to almost anywhere in the world.

Popular destinations you'll be typically covered for include:

  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Africa
  • The Middle East

Depending on which type of travel insurance you choose, you might also be covered for travel to:

  • Canada
  • The Caribbean
  • Mexico

Healthcare in these places can be pricier than elsewhere, so world travellers insurance policies that include cover for them tend to cost more.

Worldwide insurance will also cover you for trips in the UK, but it might work out cheaper to buy a travel insurance policy that provides cover for just the UK. If you're looking for single-trip worldwide insurance, annual worldwide insurance or backpacker travel insurance, and want to get cover for travel within the UK, make sure to list the UK as one of your destinations when getting a quote.

What does worldwide travel insurance cover?

Worldwide travel insurance typically covers:

  • Emergency medical expenses if you become sick or are injured abroad and need treatment, travel insurance can help you cover the cost.
  • Repatriation costs if you fall ill or have an accident and need to be flown back to the UK. This could cost thousands of pounds if you don’t have worldwide cover in place.
  • Cancellation and curtailment costs if your flights or accommodation are cancelled, or you have to cancel or cut short your trip due to an illness or injury or, in some cases, a bereavement.
  • Baggage cover if your luggage is stolen, accidentally damaged or lost. You’ll normally also get cover for personal possessions and a set amount of cash.

There are also a range of add-ons you may be able to bolt on to your cover. These normally include:

What doesn't worldwide travel insurance cover?

Your worldwide travel policy usually won’t cover the following:

  • Travelling against FCDO advice: You should check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidelines before you travel.
  • Accidents while drunk or on drugs: Your worldwide insurance won’t cover claims for illness, injury or death while intoxicated.
  • Illegal or malicious activity: You won't be able to claim for for something that happened as the result of illegal or malicious activity on your part.
  • Undeclared medical conditions: If you knew you had a pre-existing condition and didn’t declare it, you won’t be able to make claims for it on your global travel insurance policy.
  • Failing to get vaccinated: If you’re going to an area where there’s a risk of contracting a tropical disease like malaria, worldwide travel insurance policies require you to get vaccinated before you travel.
  • Extreme sports: You need to take out extra cover if you’re going to be doing extreme sports and activities as you won’t be covered by standard worldwide insurance.
  • Natural disasters: Your worldwide travel insurance might not always cover you for natural disasters, so you should check your policy wording.
  • If you change your mind and cancel your trip: Your policy will usually allow you to claim for cancellation due to certain events beyond your control, but not if you’ve just changed your mind.

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Why choose Confused.com?

  • Our experts and consumer champions are dedicated to helping our customers find the best deal for their needs and budget.
  • We work with 39 trusted travel insurance providers to help get you the cover that you need. We're regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as are all of the travel insurance providers that we work with. This means that everything we do is done properly and is always done to help our customers.
  • We're 100% independent and not owned by an insurance company. The prices you see are based solely on the information you provide us with.
  • We regularly review and update all of our content, allowing you to get a travel insurance quote in just 2 minutes.

What our travel insurance expert says

"If you're planning a trip to different countries around the world, you'll want to make sure you're covered against any medical bills, cancelled flights and lost baggage. Make sure you add all countries you plan on visiting to your policy, as medical bills can vary depending where you visit, and can cost £1000's if you haven't got insurance.

Buying a worldwide policy with the right level of cover rather than several single-trip policies will also save you time and money, leaving you time to enjoy your holiday!"

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Do I need single trip or annual worldwide travel cover?

There are two main types of worldwide travel insurance to choose from:

  • Single trip travel insurance can be cheaper if you’re only going on one trip during a 12-month period. You’ll be covered from when you leave until you get home. Although you’re only covered for a single trip, it doesn’t have to be for a single destination. You can travel to multiple places on single trip travel insurance as part of the same holiday.
  • Annual travel insurance can be cheaper if you’ll be going on more than one holiday during a 12-month period as it covers you for an unlimited number of trips. But annual multi-trip insurance only covers you for 31 days at a time during the 12 months, so it’s not suitable if you’re going to be taking longer trips.

How much is worldwide travel insurance?

What you pay for worldwide travel insurance depends on a number of factors. These can include:

Destination Cheapest premium1
Worldwide inc. US, Canada and Caribbean
£29.80
Worldwide exc. US, Canada and Caribbean
£18.60
Australia and New Zealand
£18.60

1. The cheapest annual policy for worldwide destinations, based on 1 adult aged 30, with no previous medical conditions. Correct as of August 2023.

There are a few factors that can affect the cost of your travel insurance, including:

  • Where you’re travelling to as the cost of healthcare in certain areas can be more expensive than others. This is why you’re often charged more for worldwide insurance that includes the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.
  • How long you’ll be away for can also affect the price, as the longer you’re normally away, the more you'll pay.
  • Your age as the risk of you needing medical treatment goes up the older you get.
  • Whether you have pre-existing medical conditions as you’ll need to tell us about pre-existing conditions when you get a quote for worldwide travel insurance.

Remember to buy your worldwide policy as soon as you book your trip, as this will ensure you're covered for any cancellations to your travel or accommodation from the day of booking. Plus, any cancellation cover will start from the day you choose your policy to start.

What type of worldwide cover do I need?

There are two main types of worldwide travel insurance to choose from:

Single-trip travel insurance may be the cheapest option if you’re only going on one trip during a 12-month period. You’ll be covered from when you leave until you get home. Although you’re only covered for a single trip, it doesn’t have to be for a single destination. You can travel to multiple places on single trip travel insurance as part of the same holiday.

Annual travel insurance can be cheaper if you’ll be going on more than one holiday during a 12-month period as it covers you for an unlimited number of trips. But annual multi-trip insurance only covers you for 31 days at a time during the 12 months, so it’s not suitable if you’re going to be taking longer trips.

 

If you're travelling for more than 31 days and want a slightly different type of cover, you may want to consider:

Backpacker insurance which will offer cover for a single-trip lasting several months. It's a good option if you're taking a gap year and looking to travel to several different countries.

Long stay travel insurance which provides cover for up to 18 months across different destinations.

Getting a quote takes just a few minutes and best of all, will provide peace of mind knowing you have the right cover in place for your trip.

What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?

You can still use Confused.com to get a quote for worldwide travel insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition. These conditions could include cancer, stroke, serious heart, respiratory and terminal conditions.

Some insurers may not offer you worldwide travel insurance if you already have a serious medical condition, or if you have several conditions. Others might only offer insurance at a much higher price. If you can’t find suitable cover, the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) has set up a directory of insurers willing to cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions.

You can find their directory of insurers on the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) website or you can phone them on 0800 138 7777 for free impartial advice.

Types of travel insurance

Activities travel icon

Activity travel insurance

will cover you if you’re planning an action-filled sports trip.

Travel backpackers icon

Backpackers travel insurance

covers you for travel in multiple locations over a 12-month period.

Travel business icon

Business travel insurance

covers you for any business-related trips.

Multi-travel icon

Annual travel insurance

is the perfect option if you plan on traveling more than once a year.

European travel icon

European travel insurance

it will cover you for any holidays that you've got planned in Europe this year.

Travel family icon

Family travel insurance

means you can get one policy that covers everyone, rather than buying individual policies.

Long stay travel icon

Long stay travel insurance

is the perfect policy for those who plan to travel for an extended period.

Pre-existing travel icon

Pre-existing medical travel insurance

policies may cover treatment for specific medical conditions.

Pregnancy travel icon

Pregnancy travel insurance

helps provide peace of mind for any unexpected problems while away.

Need more help?

Do I need worldwide travel insurance if I have a GHIC?

A GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) is good to have but it doesn’t replace worldwide travel insurance. A GHIC gives you access to state medical care in the EU, so it won’t help you if you’re travelling outside Europe.

If you rely on the GHIC for medical treatment while travelling in the EU, it doesn’t mean there won’t be any medical bills to pay. With the GHIC, you pay the same as the locals: depending on the EU country, medical treatment may either be free or offered at a reduced rate.

Aside from limited medical treatment in the EU, the GHIC won’t provide any of the other benefits you get with worldwide travel insurance, including medical repatriation.

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Page last reviewed: 18 August 2023

Reviewed by: Matthew Harwood

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